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Lab on a Chip Nov 2023The development of micro- and nanotechnology for biomedical applications has defined the cutting edge of medical technology for over three decades, as advancements in... (Review)
Review
The development of micro- and nanotechnology for biomedical applications has defined the cutting edge of medical technology for over three decades, as advancements in fabrication technology developed originally in the semiconductor industry have been applied to solving ever-more complex problems in medicine and biology. These technologies are ideally suited to interfacing with life sciences, since they are on the scale lengths as cells (microns) and biomacromolecules (nanometers). In this paper, we review the state of the art in bionanotechnology and bioMEMS (collectively BNM), including developments and challenges in the areas of BNM, such as microfluidic organ-on-chip devices, oral drug delivery, emerging technologies for managing infectious diseases, 3D printed microfluidic devices, AC electrokinetics, flexible MEMS devices, implantable microdevices, paper-based microfluidic platforms for cellular analysis, and wearable sensors for point-of-care testing.
Topics: Micro-Electrical-Mechanical Systems; Drug Delivery Systems; Microfluidics; Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; Nanotechnology
PubMed: 37916434
DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00296a -
Small (Weinheim An Der Bergstrasse,... Dec 2023As an ideal in vitro model, brain-on-chip (BoC) is an important tool to comprehensively elucidate brain characteristics. However, the in vitro model for the definition... (Review)
Review
As an ideal in vitro model, brain-on-chip (BoC) is an important tool to comprehensively elucidate brain characteristics. However, the in vitro model for the definition scope of BoC has not been universally recognized. In this review, BoC is divided into brain cells-on-a- chip, brain slices-on-a-chip, and brain organoids-on-a-chip according to the type of culture on the chip. Although these three microfluidic BoCs are constructed in different ways, they all use microfluidic chips as carrier tools. This method can better meet the needs of maintaining high culture activity on a chip for a long time. Moreover, BoC has successfully integrated cell biology, the biological material platform technology of microenvironment on a chip, manufacturing technology, online detection technology on a chip, and so on, enabling the chip to present structural diversity and high compatibility to meet different experimental needs and expand the scope of applications. Here, the relevant core technologies, challenges, and future development trends of BoC are summarized.
Topics: Microfluidics; Brain; Organoids; Lab-On-A-Chip Devices
PubMed: 37653590
DOI: 10.1002/smll.202304427 -
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach,... Jun 2024Medical microrobotics is an emerging field to revolutionize clinical applications in diagnostics and therapeutics of various diseases. On the other hand, the mobile... (Review)
Review
Medical microrobotics is an emerging field to revolutionize clinical applications in diagnostics and therapeutics of various diseases. On the other hand, the mobile microrobotics field has important obstacles to pass before clinical translation. This article focuses on these challenges and provides a roadmap of medical microrobots to enable their clinical use. From the concept of a "magic bullet" to the physicochemical interactions of microrobots in complex biological environments in medical applications, there are several translational steps to consider. Clinical translation of mobile microrobots is only possible with a close collaboration between clinical experts and microrobotics researchers to address the technical challenges in microfabrication, safety, and imaging. The clinical application potential can be materialized by designing microrobots that can solve the current main challenges, such as actuation limitations, material stability, and imaging constraints. The strengths and weaknesses of the current progress in the microrobotics field are discussed and a roadmap for their clinical applications in the near future isĀ outlined.
Topics: Humans; Robotics; Microtechnology; Translational Research, Biomedical; Equipment Design
PubMed: 38380776
DOI: 10.1002/adma.202311462 -
Biosensors Jul 2023Spatial profiling technologies fill the gap left by the loss of spatial information in traditional single-cell sequencing, showing great application prospects. After... (Review)
Review
Spatial profiling technologies fill the gap left by the loss of spatial information in traditional single-cell sequencing, showing great application prospects. After just a few years of quick development, spatial profiling technologies have made great progress in resolution and simplicity. This review introduces the development of spatial omics sequencing based on microfluidic array chips and describes barcoding strategies using various microfluidic designs with simplicity and efficiency. At the same time, the pros and cons of each strategy are compared. Moreover, commercialized solutions for spatial profiling are also introduced. In the end, the future perspective of spatial omics sequencing and research directions are discussed.
Topics: Microfluidics
PubMed: 37504111
DOI: 10.3390/bios13070712 -
Lab on a Chip Nov 2023Single-nanoparticle detection has received tremendous interest due to its significance in fundamental physics and biological applications. Here, we demonstrate an...
Single-nanoparticle detection has received tremendous interest due to its significance in fundamental physics and biological applications. Here, we demonstrate an optical nanofibre-enabled microfluidic sensor for the detection and sizing of nanoparticles. Benefitting from the strong evanescent field outside the nanofibre, a nanoparticle close to the nanofibre can scatter a portion of the field energy to the environment, resulting in a decrease in the transmitted intensity of the nanofibre. On the other hand, the narrow and shallow microfluidic channel provides a femtoliter-scale detection region, making nanoparticles flow through the detection region one by one. By real-time monitoring of the transmitted intensity of the nanofibre, the detection of a single polystyrene (PS) nanoparticle as small as 100 nm in diameter and exosomes in solution is realised. Based on a statistical analysis, the mean scattering signal is related to the size of the nanoparticle. Experimentally, a mixture of nanoparticles of different diameters (200, 500, and 1000 nm) in solution is identified. To demonstrate its potential in biological applications, high-throughput counting of yeasts using a pair of microchannels and dual-wavelength detection of fluorescently labelled nanoparticles are realised. We believe that the developed nanoparticle sensor holds great potential for the multiplexed and rapid sensing of diverse viruses.
Topics: Nanofibers; Nanoparticles; Microfluidics; Polystyrenes
PubMed: 37874569
DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00499f -
Nature Communications Aug 2023Droplet microfluidic methods have massively increased the throughput of single-cell sequencing campaigns. The benefit of scale-up is, however, accompanied by increased...
Droplet microfluidic methods have massively increased the throughput of single-cell sequencing campaigns. The benefit of scale-up is, however, accompanied by increased background noise when processing challenging samples and the overall RNA capture efficiency is lower. These drawbacks stem from the lack of strategies to enrich for high-quality material or specific cell types at the moment of cell encapsulation and the absence of implementable multi-step enzymatic processes that increase capture. Here we alleviate both bottlenecks using fluorescence-activated droplet sorting to enrich for droplets that contain single viable cells, intact nuclei, fixed cells or target cell types and use reagent addition to droplets by picoinjection to perform multi-step lysis and reverse transcription. Our methodology increases gene detection rates fivefold, while reducing background noise by up to half. We harness these properties to deliver a high-quality molecular atlas of mouse brain development, despite starting with highly damaged input material, and provide an atlas of nascent RNA transcription during mouse organogenesis. Our method is broadly applicable to other droplet-based workflows to deliver sensitive and accurate single-cell profiling at a reduced cost.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Microfluidics; Microfluidic Analytical Techniques; RNA; Single-Cell Analysis
PubMed: 37553326
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40322-w -
Biosensors & Bioelectronics Sep 2023Microfluidic technology has emerged as a promising tool in various applications, including biosensing, disease diagnosis, and environmental monitoring. One of the... (Review)
Review
Microfluidic technology has emerged as a promising tool in various applications, including biosensing, disease diagnosis, and environmental monitoring. One of the notable features of microfluidic devices is their ability to selectively capture and release specific cells, biomolecules, bacteria, and particles. Compared to traditional bulk analysis instruments, microfluidic capture-and-release platforms offer several advantages, such as contactless operation, label-free detection, high accuracy, good sensitivity, and minimal reagent requirements. However, despite significant efforts dedicated to developing innovative capture mechanisms in the past, the release and recovery efficiency of trapped particles have often been overlooked. Many previous studies have focused primarily on particle capture techniques and their efficiency, disregarding the crucial role of successful particle release for subsequent analysis. In reality, the ability to effectively release trapped particles is particularly essential to ensure ongoing, high-throughput analysis. To address this gap, this review aims to highlight the importance of both capture and release mechanisms in microfluidic systems and assess their effectiveness. The methods are classified into two categories: those based on physical principles and those using biochemical approaches. Furthermore, the review offers a comprehensive summary of recent applications of microfluidic platforms specifically designed for particle capture and release. It outlines the designs and performance of these devices, highlighting their advantages and limitations in various target applications and purposes. Finally, the review concludes with discussions on the current challenges faced in the field and presents potential future directions.
Topics: Microfluidics; Biosensing Techniques; Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; Environmental Monitoring; Microfluidic Analytical Techniques
PubMed: 37276636
DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115426 -
Current Opinion in Genetics &... Oct 2023In vitro stem cell-derived embryo and organ models, termed embryoids and organoids, respectively, provide promising experimental tools to study physiological and... (Review)
Review
In vitro stem cell-derived embryo and organ models, termed embryoids and organoids, respectively, provide promising experimental tools to study physiological and pathological processes in mammalian development and organ formation. Most of current embryoid and organoid systems are developed using conventional three-dimensional cultures that lack controls of spatiotemporal extracellular signals. Microfluidics, an established technology for quantitative controls and quantifications of dynamic chemical and physical environments, has recently been utilized for developing next-generation embryoids and organoids in a controllable and reproducible manner. In this review, we summarize recent progress in constructing microfluidics-based embryoids and organoids. Development of these models demonstrates the successful applications of microfluidics in establishing morphogen gradients, accelerating medium transport, exerting mechanical forces, facilitating tissue coculture studies, and improving assay throughput, thus supporting using microfluidics for building next-generation embryoids and organoids for fundamental and translational research.
Topics: Animals; Translational Research, Biomedical; Microfluidics; Organoids; Stem Cells; Mammals
PubMed: 37573835
DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2023.102097 -
International Journal of Biological... Dec 2023Conventional techniques for enzyme immobilization suffer from suboptimal activity recovery due to insufficient enzyme loading and inadequate stability. Furthermore,... (Review)
Review
Conventional techniques for enzyme immobilization suffer from suboptimal activity recovery due to insufficient enzyme loading and inadequate stability. Furthermore, these techniques are time-consuming and involve multiple steps which limit the applicability of immobilized enzymes. In contrast, the use of microfluidic devices for enzyme immobilization has garnered significant attention due to its ability to precisely control immobilization parameters, resulting in highly active immobilized enzymes. This approach offers several advantages, including reduced time and energy consumption, enhanced mass-heat transfer, and improved control over the mixing process. It maintains the superior structural configuration in immobilized form which ultimately affects the overall efficiency. The present review article comprehensively explains the design, construction, and various methods employed for enzyme immobilization using microfluidic devices. The immobilized enzymes prepared using these techniques demonstrated excellent catalytic activity, remarkable stability, and outstanding recyclability. Moreover, they have found applications in diverse areas such as biosensors, biotransformation, and bioremediation. The review article also discusses potential future developments and foresees significant challenges associated with enzyme immobilization using microfluidics, along with potential remedies. The development of this advanced technology not only paves the way for novel and innovative approaches to enzyme immobilization but also allows for the straightforward scalability of microfluidic-based techniques from an industrial standpoint.
Topics: Enzymes, Immobilized; Microfluidics; Biosensing Techniques; Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; Enzyme Stability
PubMed: 37827414
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127358 -
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics :... Sep 2023The involvement of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in cellular communication with multifactorial and multifaceted biological activity has generated significant interest,... (Review)
Review
The involvement of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in cellular communication with multifactorial and multifaceted biological activity has generated significant interest, highlighting their potential diagnostic and therapeutic applications. EVs are found in nearly all biological fluids creating a broad spectrum of where potential disease markers can be found for liquid biopsy development and what subtypes can be used for treatment of diseases. Complexity of biological fluids has generated a variety of different approaches for EV isolation and identification that may in one way or another be most optimal for research studies or clinical use. Each approach has its own advantages and disadvantages, significance of which can be evaluated depending on the end goal of the study. One of the methods is based on filtration which has received attention in the past years due its versatility, low cost and other advantages. Introduction of different approaches for EV capture and analysis that are based on filtration gave rise to new subcategories of filtration techniques which are presented in this overview. Miniaturization and combination of filtration-based approaches with microfluidics is also highlighted due its future prospects in healthcare, especially point-of-need technologies.
Topics: Extracellular Vesicles; Cell Communication; Microfluidics
PubMed: 37646109
DOI: 10.1039/d3cp03129b